U.S. patent application number 17/497269 was filed with the patent office on 2022-06-23 for method for optimizing vcrm transmission data optimization and apparatus therefor.
This patent application is currently assigned to HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY. The applicant listed for this patent is HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, Kia Corporation. Invention is credited to Sun Woo KIM.
Application Number | 20220197547 17/497269 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-06-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220197547 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KIM; Sun Woo |
June 23, 2022 |
METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING VCRM TRANSMISSION DATA OPTIMIZATION AND
APPARATUS THEREFOR
Abstract
The present invention relates to a VCRM data transmission
optimizing method and an apparatus therefor, and a method of
transmitting VCRM data in a vehicle terminal may include generating
at least one data slot buffer, determining whether to perform
buffer flush according to whether data is changed, and whether a
buffer max size is reached, when new data is entered, and flushing
data recorded in a corresponding data slot buffer according to the
determination for performing the buffer flush to be transmitted to
a server over a wireless network.
Inventors: |
KIM; Sun Woo; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
Kia Corporation |
Seoul
Seoul |
|
KR
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
Seoul
KR
Kia Corporation
Seoul
KR
|
Appl. No.: |
17/497269 |
Filed: |
October 8, 2021 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/06 20060101
G06F003/06; G06Q 30/00 20060101 G06Q030/00; G07C 5/00 20060101
G07C005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 23, 2020 |
KR |
10-2020-0182471 |
Claims
1. A method of transmitting vehicle customer relation management
(VCRM) data in a vehicle terminal, the method comprising:
generating at least one data slot buffer; determining whether to
perform buffer flush according to whether data is changed, and
whether a buffer max size is reached, when new data is entered; and
flushing data recorded in a corresponding data slot buffer
according to the determination for performing the buffer flush to
be transmitted to a server over a wireless network.
2. The method of claim 1, further including: setting a default size
and a max size for the at least one data slot buffer, wherein it is
determined that the buffer max size is reached, according to an
event that the data slot buffer corresponding to the new data among
the at least one data slot buffer is in a full state and a current
size of the corresponding data slot buffer reaches the max
size.
3. The method of claim 2, further including: increasing a size of
the corresponding data slot buffer by the default size according to
an event that the buffer max size is not reached.
4. The method of claim 2, further including: updating a tag field
according to an event that the buffer max size is reached, wherein
data to be transmitted to the server includes the tag field to be
transmitted.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the tag field includes at least
one of: an ID field for uniquely identifying a corresponding data;
a repeat counter field indicating a number of times that same data
is repeatedly received; a buffer max field indicating whether the
corresponding data slot buffer reaches the max buffer size; or a
buffer refresh field indicating whether a data value received in
the corresponding data slot buffer is changed.
6. The method of claim 2, further including: identifying the data
slot buffer, in which the new data is recorded, depending on an
input of the new data; determining whether the new data is first
data of the identified data slot buffer; determining whether to
change the data when a result of the determining whether the new
data is the first data of the identified data slot buffer indicates
that the new data is not the first data; and performing the buffer
flush based on an event that the data is changed.
7. The method of claim 6, further including: decreasing a size of
the identified data slot buffer by the default size according to
the event that the data is changed; and recording the new data in
the identified data slot buffer.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein the default size and the max size
are differently set for each of the at least one data slot
buffer.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined whether the data
is changed, by comparing the new data with data which is most
recently recorded in a data slot buffer corresponding to the new
data, among the at least one data buffer.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the new data is received through
a vehicle internal communication network, and wherein the vehicle
internal communication network includes at least one of a
controller area network (CAN), Ethernet, a local interconnect
network (LIN), or FlexRay.
11. An apparatus provided in a vehicle and controlling vehicle
customer relation management (VCRM) data transmission, the
apparatus comprising: a data collector configured to collect data
over a vehicle internal communication network; a buffer controller
configured to generate at least one data slot buffer corresponding
to the data and to determine whether to perform buffer flush on the
at least one data slot buffer according to whether to change the
data and whether a buffer max size is reached, when new data is
received from the data collector; and a data transmission buffer
configured to flush data recorded in a corresponding data slot
buffer according to the determination for performing the buffer
flush to be transmitted to a server over a wireless network.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, further including: a device
configured to set a default size and a max size for the at least
one data slot buffer, wherein the buffer controller is configured
to determine that the buffer max size is reached, according to an
event that the data slot buffer corresponding to the new data among
the at least one data slot buffer is in a full state, and a current
size of the corresponding data slot buffer reaches the buffer max
size.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the buffer controller is
configured to increase a size of the corresponding data slot buffer
by the default size according to an event that the buffer max size
is not reached.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, further including: a device
configured to update a tag field according to an event that the
buffer max size is reached, wherein data to be transmitted to the
server includes the tag field to be transmitted.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the tag field includes at
least one of: an ID field for uniquely identifying corresponding
data; a repeat counter field indicating a number of times that same
data is repeatedly received; a buffer max field indicating whether
the corresponding data slot buffer reaches the max buffer size; or
a buffer refresh field indicating whether data value received in
the corresponding data slot buffer is changed.
16. The apparatus of claim 12, further including: a device
configured to identify the data slot buffer, in which the new data
is recorded, depending on an input of the new data; a device
configured to determine whether the new data is first data of the
identified data slot buffer; a device configured to determine
whether to change the data when a result of the determining whether
the new data is the first data of the identified data slot buffer
indicates that the new data is not the first data; and a device
configured to perform the buffer flush based on an event that the
data is changed.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, further including: a device
configured to decrease a size of the identified data slot buffer by
the default size according to the event that the data is changed;
and a device configured to record the new data in the identified
data slot buffer.
18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the default size and the max
size are differently set for each of the at least one data slot
buffer.
19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the buffer controller is
configured to determine whether the data is changed, by comparing
the new data with data which is most recently recorded in a data
slot buffer corresponding to the new data, among the at least one
data buffer.
20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the new data is received
through the vehicle internal communication network, and wherein the
vehicle internal communication network includes at least one of
CAN, Ethernet, LIN, or FlexRay.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2020-0182471, filed on Dec. 23, 2020, the entire
contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle customer relation
management (VCRM) system, and more particularly, relates to a VCRM
data transmission technology which is capable of reducing wireless
data usage by adaptively controlling data transmission to a server
depending on features of data collected by a VCRM terminal.
Description of Related Art
[0003] A VCRM system collects data generated inside a vehicle to be
transmitted to a server. In the present way, various pieces of
useful information such as a driving history and fuel efficiency
information of a vehicle may be processed to be provided to
customers. Besides, the VCRM system may be used as data for
research and development (R&D), such as vehicle performance,
quality improvement, or the like by analyzing big data thus
collected variously.
[0004] The added value capable of being provided or produced
through the data collected by the VCRM system increases in
proportion to the precision of collected data as well as the amount
of collected data.
[0005] Wireless data communication needs to be used to transmit
data collected inside a vehicle to the server in real time.
However, the wireless data communication is not a resource capable
of being used free of charge, but a resource that needs to be used
for a fee by contracting with each local wireless communication
network operator. For a domestic region, the wireless data
communication is limited to 50 MB per month.
[0006] A conventional VCRM collection terminal automatically
transmits the data collected from an electronic control unit (ECU)
inside the vehicle to the server without any special processing. In
other words, the VCRM collection terminal does not consider content
of the collected data. Accordingly, no matter what content is
collected in any pattern, the conventional VCRM collection terminal
is stored automatically. As the collected data increases, as the
data collection resolution increases, the possibility of utilizing
the collected data may increase, thereby increasing the demand for
data collection. Accordingly, there is a demand for a method for
collecting/transmitting data more efficiently within the limited
transmission capacity.
[0007] The information disclosed in this Background of the
Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the
general background of the invention and may not be taken as an
acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information
forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the
art.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0008] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to
providing a method for transmitting VCRM data, and an apparatus
therefor.
[0009] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to
providing a VCRM data transmission method configured for reducing
wireless data usage by transmitting the number of times that a
specific value is repeated, instead of repeatedly transmitting the
same value collected every collection cycle when an actual value of
data to be collected has static characteristics and an apparatus
therefor.
[0010] The technical problems to be solved by the present inventive
concept are not limited to the aforementioned problems, and any
other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly
understood from the following description by those skilled in the
art to which various exemplary embodiments of the present invention
pertains.
[0011] According to various aspects of the present invention, a
method of transmitting vehicle customer relation management (VCRM)
data in a vehicle terminal may include generating at least one data
slot buffer, determining whether to perform buffer flush according
to whether data is changed, and whether a buffer max size is
reached, when new data is entered, and flushing data recorded in a
corresponding data slot buffer according to the determination for
performing the buffer flush to be transmitted to a server over a
wireless network.
[0012] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the method may further include setting a default size and a max
size for the at least one data slot buffer. It may be determined
that the buffer max size is reached, according to an event that a
data slot buffer corresponding to the new data among the at least
one data slot buffer is in a full state and a current size of the
corresponding data slot buffer reaches the max size.
[0013] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the method may further include increasing a size of the
corresponding data slot buffer by the default size according to an
event that the buffer max size is not reached.
[0014] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the method may further include updating a tag field based on an
event that the buffer max size is reached. Data to be transmitted
to the server may include the tag field to be transmitted.
[0015] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the tag field may include at least one of an ID field for uniquely
identifying a corresponding data, a repeat counter field indicating
the number of times that same data is repeatedly received, a buffer
max field indicating whether the corresponding data slot buffer
reaches the max buffer size, or a buffer refresh field indicating
whether a data value received in the corresponding data slot buffer
is changed.
[0016] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the method may further include identifying the data slot buffer, in
which the new data is recorded, depending on the input of the new
data, determining whether the new data is first data of the
identified data slot buffer, determining whether to change the data
when a result of the determination indicates that the new data is
not the first data, and performing the buffer flush based on an
event that the data is changed.
[0017] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the method may further include decreasing a size of the identified
data slot buffer by the default size based on the event that the
data is changed, and recording the new data in the identified data
slot buffer.
[0018] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the default size and the max size may be differently set for each
of the at least one data slot buffer.
[0019] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
it may be determined whether the data is changed, by comparing the
new data with data which is most recently recorded in a data slot
buffer corresponding to the new data, among the at least one data
buffer.
[0020] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the new data may be received through a vehicle internal
communication network. The vehicle internal communication network
may include at least one of a controller area network (CAN),
Ethernet, a local interconnect network (LIN), or FlexRay.
[0021] According to various aspects of the present invention, an
apparatus provided in a vehicle and controlling VCRM data
transmission may include a data collector that collects data over a
vehicle internal communication network, a buffer controller that
generates at least one data slot buffer corresponding to the data
and determines whether to perform buffer flush on the at least one
data slot buffer according to whether to change the data and
whether a buffer max size is reached, when new data is received
from the data collector, and a data transmission buffer that
flushes data recorded in a corresponding data slot buffer according
to the determination for performing the buffer flush to be
transmitted to a server over a wireless network.
[0022] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus may further include a device that sets a default size
and a max size for the at least one data slot buffer. The buffer
controller may be configured to determine that the buffer max size
is reached, according to an event that a data slot buffer
corresponding to the new data among the at least one data slot
buffer is in a full state, and a current size of the corresponding
data slot buffer reaches the buffer max size.
[0023] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the buffer controller may increase a size of the corresponding data
slot buffer by the default size according to an event that the
buffer max size is not reached.
[0024] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus may further include a device that updates a tag field
based on an event that the buffer max size is reached. Data to be
transmitted to the server may include the tag field to be
transmitted.
[0025] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the tag field may include at least one of an ID field for uniquely
identifying a corresponding data, a repeat counter field indicating
the number of times that same data is repeatedly received, a buffer
max field indicating whether the corresponding data slot buffer
reaches the max buffer size, or a buffer refresh field indicating
whether a data value received in the corresponding data slot buffer
is changed.
[0026] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus may further include a device that identifies the data
slot buffer, in which the new data is recorded, depending on the
input of the new data, a device that determines whether the new
data is first data of the identified data slot buffer, a device
that determines whether to change the data when a result of the
determination indicates that the new data is not the first data,
and a device that performs the buffer flush based on an event that
the data is changed.
[0027] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus may further include a device that decreases a size of
the identified data slot buffer by the default size based on the
event that the data is changed, and a device that records the new
data in the identified data slot buffer.
[0028] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the default size and the max size may be differently set for each
of the at least one data slot buffer.
[0029] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the buffer controller may be configured to determine whether the
data is changed, by comparing the new data with data which is most
recently recorded in a data slot buffer corresponding to the new
data, among the at least one data buffer.
[0030] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the new data may be received through a vehicle internal
communication network. The vehicle internal communication network
may include at least one of CAN, Ethernet, LIN, or FlexRay.
[0031] The technical problems to be solved by embodiments of the
present invention are not limited to the aforementioned problems,
and other technical problems that are not mentioned will be clearly
understood by those skilled in the art from the following
description.
[0032] The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have
other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are
set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are
incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which
together serve to explain certain principles of the present
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 is a diagram for describing a structure of a VCRM
system;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for describing a structure of an
apparatus of optimizing VCRM transmission data, according to
various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing a detailed operation
method of the device of FIG. 2; and
[0036] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operating mechanism of
an apparatus, according to various exemplary embodiments of the
present invention.
[0037] It may be understood that the appended drawings are not
necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified
representation of various features illustrative of the basic
principles of the present invention. The specific design features
of the present invention as included herein, including, for
example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes
will be determined in part by the particularly intended application
and use environment.
[0038] In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or
equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several
figures of the drawing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments
of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings and described below. While the present
invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that
the present description is not intended to limit the present
invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the
present invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the
exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also various
alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments,
which may be included within the spirit and scope of the present
invention as defined by the appended claims.
[0040] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present
invention will be described in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings. In adding reference numerals to components
of each drawing, it may be noted that the same components have the
same reference numerals, although they are indicated on another
drawing. Furthermore, in describing the exemplary embodiments of
the present invention, detailed descriptions associated with
well-known functions or configurations will be omitted when they
may make subject matters of the present invention unnecessarily
obscure.
[0041] In describing elements of exemplary embodiments of the
present invention, the terms first, second, A, B, (a), (b), and the
like may be used herein. These terms are only used to distinguish
one element from another element, but do not limit the
corresponding elements irrespective of the nature, order, or
priority of the corresponding elements. Furthermore, unless
otherwise defined, all terms including technical and scientific
terms used herein are to be interpreted as is customary in the art
to which various exemplary embodiments of the present invention
belongs. It will be understood that terms used herein should be
interpreted as having a meaning which is consistent with their
meaning in the context of the present invention and the relevant
art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal
sense unless expressly so defined herein.
[0042] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention
will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG.
3, and FIG. 4.
[0043] FIG. 1 is a diagram for describing a structure of a VCRM
system.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, a terminal 1 provided in a vehicle may
collect various data from various electronic control units (ECUs) 3
connected to a vehicle internal communication network 2. For
example, the vehicle internal communication network 2 may include
at least one of a controller area network (CAN), an Ethernet
network, FlexRay, a local interconnect network (LIN), or a
media-oriented system transport (MOST).
[0045] The terminal 1 may transmit the collected data to a server 5
through a wireless communication network 4. Herein, the wireless
communication network 4 may include at least one of a 4G Long Term
Evolution (LTE) network, a 5G New Radio (NR) network, or a Wi-Fi
network.
[0046] The server 5 may generate useful information such as the
driving history and fuel economy driving information of a vehicle
based on the data received from the terminal 1 and may provide the
information to the corresponding vehicle terminal or customer
terminal.
[0047] Also, vehicle manufacturers may utilize the useful
information as R&D data for vehicle performance/quality
improvement through various big data analysis based on the data
collected by the server 5.
[0048] At the present time, the added value configured for being
provided or produced through the collected data may increase in
proportion to the precision of the collected data as well as the
amount of the collected data.
[0049] Various aspects of the present invention provide a method
for optimizing VCRM transmission data which is configured for
reducing wireless data usage by transmitting the number of times
that a specific value is repeated, instead of repeatedly
transmitting the same value collected every collection cycle when
an actual value of data to be collected has static
characteristics.
[0050] A large number of data collected from the vehicle has a
static characteristic changed only at a specific operating time,
and thus the wireless data usage may be significantly reduced
through differentiated processing according to data
characteristics.
[0051] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for describing a structure of an
apparatus of optimizing VCRM transmission data, according to
various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
[0052] Hereinafter, for convenience of description, an apparatus
200 for optimizing VCRM transmission data will be briefly referred
to as an "apparatus". The apparatus 200 may be provided in the
vehicle to collect data from various ECUs connected to a vehicle
internal communication network.
[0053] Referring to FIG. 2, the apparatus 200 may include a data
bus 210, a data collector 220, a slot buffer 230, a buffer
controller 240, and a data transmission buffer 250. Here, the slot
buffer 230 may include first to N-th data slot buffers allocated
for each data type. The number of data slot buffers may be preset
depending on data type, but this is only an example. For example,
the number of data slot buffers may be dynamically changed
depending on collected data.
[0054] According to a preset data collection policy, the data
collector 220 may perform a role of actually collecting data in a
vehicle through the data bus 220.
[0055] The data collector 220 may identify a data slot buffer
corresponding to the collected data, and then may deliver the
corresponding data to the identified data slot buffer.
[0056] The slot buffer 230 is a temporary storage space allocated
in a memory for each collection target data or data type. In the
instant case, the number of data slot buffers included in the slot
buffer 230 may match the number of data objects set as current
collection targets. A size of each data slot buffer may have a
default size when each data slot buffer is generated, and may be
dynamically adjusted depending on a data collection state.
[0057] Each data slot buffer may compare data newly received from
the data collector 220 with data last recorded in its own buffer
and may transmit the comparison result to the buffer controller
240.
[0058] The buffer controller 240 may control overall operations of
the slot buffer 230 in conjunction with data collection
settings/policy, or the like. As an example, the buffer controller
240 may control the generation, change, and deletion of a data slot
buffer. The buffer controller 240 may receive the data comparison
result of each data slot buffer, may dynamically determine the size
of the corresponding data slot buffer, and may determine whether to
perform buffer flush.
[0059] For example, when the buffer flush is determined, the buffer
controller 240 may transmit, to the slot buffer 230, a
predetermined control signal for requesting the flush of the
corresponding data slot buffer. As various exemplary embodiments of
the present invention, when the buffer flush is determined, the
buffer controller 240 may directly flush the corresponding data
slot buffer.
[0060] The data transmission buffer 250 may tag each transmission
data with information (e.g., status information of the slot buffer
230) required to use data collected in the server 5 to be
transmitted.
[0061] FIG. 3 is a diagram for describing a detailed operation
method of the device of FIG. 2.
[0062] Referring to FIG. 3, a data slot buffer for each data
collected inside a vehicle may be allocated.
[0063] When data collection settings are determined, data slot
buffers corresponding to the number of set collection target data
objects may be generated with a default size (e.g., 10 slots). In
the instant case, the size of each slot may be preset for each data
object when data collection is set. A unique identifier (ID) may be
allocated to each data slot buffer. Each ID may be unique for each
data object to be collected. Each collected data may be delivered
to a data slot buffer having the same ID as the collected data.
[0064] Referring to FIG. 3, when data is collected through the data
bus 210, the data collector 220 may deliver the corresponding data
to the data slot buffer having the same ID as an ID allocated for
each data.
[0065] When new data for each data slot buffer is entered from the
data collector 220, the slot buffer 230 may operate as in the
flowchart of FIG. 4 to be described later.
[0066] At the time of transmission of the collected data, the data
transmission buffer 250 may transmit both a tag field and a data
field in the data transmission buffer 250. Herein, the tag field
may include at least one of an ID field for uniquely identifying
the corresponding data, a repeat counter field indicating the
number of times that the same data is repeatedly received, a buffer
max field indicating whether the corresponding data slot buffer
reaches the max buffer size, or a buffer refresh field indicating
whether a data value received in the corresponding data slot buffer
is changed.
[0067] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a
value of only the data indicating that the buffer refresh attribute
is "True" in the tag field is changed after the previous data
transmission, and thus only data indicating that a buffer refresh
state value is "True" may be transmitted at the next transmission
time. Furthermore, even though the buffer refresh state value has
"False", data indicating that the buffer max state value is "True"
may be also transmitted. When data transmission is successful, both
the buffer refresh state value and the buffer max state value of
the data transmission buffer 250 may be changed to "False".
[0068] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus 200 may further include a device for setting a
default size and a max size for the at least one data slot buffer.
The buffer controller 240 may determine that the buffer max size is
reached, based on an event that the data slot buffer corresponding
to the new data is in a full state, and a current size of the
corresponding data slot buffer reaches the max size.
[0069] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the buffer controller may increase the size of the corresponding
data slot buffer by the default size, based on an event that the
buffer max size is not reached.
[0070] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus 200 may further include a device for updating a tag
field based on an event that the corresponding data slot buffer
reaches a buffer max size. The apparatus 200 may include a tag
field in the data to be transmitted to the server 5 to be
transmitted.
[0071] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus 200 may identify a data slot buffer, in which new
data is to be recorded, depending on the input of new data, and may
determine whether the new data is the first data of the identified
data slot buffer. When the new data is not the first data, the
apparatus 200 may determine whether data is changed, and may
perform buffer flush on the corresponding data slot buffer based on
an event that the data is changed.
[0072] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus 200 may reduce the size of the corresponding data
slot buffer by a predetermined default size depending on data
change.
[0073] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the apparatus 200 may set the default size and the max size
differently for each data slot buffer when generating at least one
data slot buffer.
[0074] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
the buffer controller 240 may determine whether data is changed, by
comparing the new data with the most recently-recorded data of the
data slot buffer corresponding to the new data.
[0075] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operating mechanism of
an apparatus, according to various exemplary embodiments of the
present invention.
[0076] Referring to FIG. 4, when data slot buffer control logic is
started, the apparatus 200 may generate at least one data slot
buffer and may set a default size and max size of each data slot
buffer (S401). At the instant time, at least one of the default
size or the max size for each data slot buffer may be set
identically or differently for all generated data slot buffers. For
example, the default size and the max size may be set differently
depending on the ID (i.e., a data type (or an attribute)) of the
data slot buffer. For example, each ECU may periodically or
randomly generate data of different sizes to be transmitted to the
apparatus 200.
[0077] When data is entered into the corresponding data slot
buffer, the apparatus 200 may determine whether the data is the
first data of the corresponding data slot buffer (S402 to
S403).
[0078] When the determination result indicates that the data is the
first received data, the apparatus 200 may record the received data
in the corresponding data slot buffer, and then may return to
operation 402 to wait for entering new data (S404).
[0079] When the determination result in operation 403 indicates
that the data is not the first received data, the apparatus 200 may
compare whether the newly-received data value is identical to a
data value most-recently recorded in the corresponding data slot
buffer (S405).
[0080] When the comparison result indicates that the newly-received
data value is identical to the most-recently recorded data value,
the apparatus 200 may record new input data in the corresponding
data slot buffer (S406).
[0081] The apparatus 200 may determine whether the corresponding
data buffer slot is in a full state (S407).
[0082] When the determination result indicates that the
corresponding data buffer slot is in a full state, the apparatus
200 may determine whether the corresponding data slot buffer
reaches the max size set in operation 401 (S408).
[0083] When the determination result indicates that the size of the
data slot buffer does not reach the max size, the apparatus 200 may
increase the size of the corresponding data slot buffer by the
default size (S409).
[0084] When the determination result in operation 408 indicates
that the corresponding data slot buffer reaches the max size, the
apparatus 200 may perform buffer flush for transmitting data
recorded in the corresponding data slot buffer to the data
transmission buffer 450 (S410). In the instant case, in a tag field
value of the corresponding data slot buffer, "Buffer Max" may be
updated to "TRUE" and "Buffer ReFresh" may be updated to "FALSE".
Furthermore, when the buffer flush is performed, a value of "Repeat
Counter" corresponding to the corresponding data slot buffer may be
updated to the number of data currently included in the
corresponding data slot buffer.
[0085] In operation 407, when the corresponding data slot buffer is
not in the full state, the apparatus 200 may return to operation
402 to wait for entering new data.
[0086] When the comparison result in operation 405 indicates that
the new input data is not identical to the most recently-recorded
data, the apparatus 200 may perform buffer flush (S411). In the
instant case, in a tag field value of the corresponding data slot
buffer, "Buffer Max" may be updated to "FALSE" and "Buffer ReFresh"
may be updated to "TRUE". Furthermore, when the buffer flush is
performed, a value of "Repeat Counter" corresponding to the
corresponding data slot buffer may be updated to the number of data
currently included in the corresponding data slot buffer.
[0087] When performing the buffer flush depending on data change,
the apparatus 200 may decrease the size of the corresponding data
slot buffer by the default size (S412).
[0088] Afterward, the apparatus 200 may record new input data in
the corresponding data slot buffer and then may return to operation
402 (S413).
[0089] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
when performing the buffer flush depending on "Buffer Max", the
apparatus 200 may not perform a buffer size reduction operation on
the corresponding data slot buffer.
[0090] The operations of the method or algorithm described in
connection with the exemplary embodiments included in the
specification may be directly implemented with a hardware module, a
software module, or a combination of the hardware module and the
software module, which is executed by the processor. The software
module may reside on a storage medium (i.e., the memory and/or the
storage) such as a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a
read only memory (ROM), an erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM),
an electrically EPROM (EEPROM), a register, a hard disk drive, a
removable disc, or a compact disc-ROM (CD-ROM).
[0091] The exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the
processor. The processor may read out information from the storage
medium and may write information in the storage medium.
Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated with the
processor. The processor and storage medium may be implemented with
an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may
reside in a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and storage
medium may be implemented with separate components in the user
terminal.
[0092] Hereinabove, although the present invention has been
described with reference to exemplary embodiments and the
accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited
thereto, but may be variously modified and altered by those skilled
in the art to which various exemplary embodiments of the present
invention pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of
the present invention claimed in the following claims. Therefore,
embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the
technical spirit of the present invention, but provided only for
the illustrative purpose. The scope of protection of the present
invention may be construed by the attached claims, and all
equivalents thereof may be construed as being included within the
scope of the present invention.
[0093] The present invention may provide a method for transmitting
VCRM data and an apparatus therefor.
[0094] Furthermore, the present invention may effectively reduce
wireless data usage by optimizing data transmission within the
limited wireless communication data capacity of a VCRM
terminal.
[0095] Furthermore, the present invention may effectively reduce
wireless data usage by the VCRM terminal by transmitting the number
of times a specific value is repeated together with data instead of
repeatedly transmitting the same value collected every collection
cycle, when the feature of collected data is static.
[0096] Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented only
by changing software without changing hardware, and thus a cost may
be effectively reduced.
[0097] Besides, a variety of effects directly or indirectly
understood through the specification may be provided.
[0098] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments
of the present invention have been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. They are not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms
disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are
possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments
were chosen and described to explain certain principles of the
present invention and their practical application, to enable others
skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, as well as various
alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the
scope of the present invention be defined by the Claims appended
hereto and their equivalents.
* * * * *